Red Wings' Brian Rafalski retires with three Stanley Cups

By Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

DETROIT  As he labored through his 11th NHL season, beset by relentless and debilitating pain in his back and knees, defenseman Brian Rafalski steadily grew convinced life could hold more than hockey.

He discussed it with his wife, Felicity, and leaned on his faith, and ultimately came to the point that found him, on Wednesday, announcing his retirement from the Red Wings a year before his contract expired.

"This was probably the most challenging season of my career, both physically, mentally and spiritually, but it was also the most rewarding and most blessed," Rafalski said. "The decision was made between myself and my wife approximately two months ago. We went through a long process of weighing different factors in our lives. At the end of the day it came down to priorities, with the top three priorities being serving God, serving my family and serving others."

Rafalski walked away from $6 million, which the Wings will use to plug the hole left by one of the game's best passers. After going undrafted by NHL teams, starting his career in Europe and finally joining the New Jersey Devils as a free agent in 1999, Rafalski went on to win three Stanley Cups and two Olympic silver medals.

"I'm not sure we win the Cup in '08 without Brian Rafalski," general manager Ken Holland said. "He's been great for us. We were hoping to have him for at least another year, but he made a difficult decision for the right reasons."

Thinking back four years to when the Red Wings first acquired Rafalski, coach Mike Babcock described it as a move that "gave us new life."

Signing a then-33-year-old undersized defenseman to a five year deal averaging $6 million raised eyebrows at the time, but the Wings knew what they were doing. Members of the organization still remember the first time they saw Rafalski in a Wings uniform skate back to get the puck, whip around and thread a long-range pass onto a forward's stick. Rafalski's skill in that area made an immediate impact on the offense, and it was his diminishing ability to perform that maneuver that played a factor in his decision to retire after 11 seasons in the NHL. He spent the past season severely impacted by persistent pain in his back and knees.

Brian Rafalski's stats

Season

Team

GP

G

A

Pts.

+/-

1999-00

New Jersey

75

5

27

32

21

2000-01

New Jersey

78

9

43

52

36

2001-02

New Jersey

76

7

40

47

15

2002

U.S. Olympics

6

1

2

3

2002-03

New Jersey

79

3

37

40

18

2003-04

New Jersey

69

6

30

36

6

2005-06

New Jersey

82

6

43

49

0

2006

U.S. Olympics

5

0

2

2

2006-07

New Jersey

82

8

47

55

4

2007-08

Detroit

73

13

42

55

27

2008-09

Detroit

78

10

49

59

17

2009-10

Detroit

78

8

34

42

23

2010

U.S. Olympics

6

4

4

8

2010-11

Detroit

63

4

44

48

11

"There wasn't a day this year that I wasn't on the training table, and that gets tiring," Rafalski said. "I wasn't able to skate the way I would have liked to. It really made me adjust how I played the game this year."

Rafalski, 37, arrived in Detroit in the summer of '07, a Dearborn, Mich., native coming home after seven seasons with New Jersey. When the Wings called, Rafalski answered with a resounding yes.

"It was an opportunity of a lifetime to come here," he said. "With the style of play they play here, the quality of players, the quality of the organization from top to bottom, it was a place that was high on my list. When I heard they were interested, I was very excited. It definitely gave me a fresh, new start."

Rafalski finished with 79 goals, 436 assists and 515 points in 833 games. He had 48 points in 63 games this past season, but clearly struggled to perform at the level he had set for so long.

"We played more in our zone this year when Rafi was on the ice than we ever did because he couldn't get there to get it going like he normally did," Babcock said. "Before you couldn't touch him. You'd kind of bump him, but he had the low center of gravity, heavy on the bottom, he'd just spin in the corner and he'd be gone. When you're used to playing like that and standing at their blue line, and suddenly when you're playing D-zone coverage all the time, you're probably not thrilled about it.

"He was an elite, elite player. When we were fortunate enough to sign him, it gave us new life immediately."

Rafalski signed his retirement papers Wednesday morning, finalizing a decision he made two months ago.

Teammates only found out this week when the news leaked early. Holland said when he first heard about it from somebody else, "I blew it off, because it didn't make any sense."

Babcock said, "I think you have momentary surprise and then, it makes sense, with his injuries."

As for what comes next, Rafalski was vague. Teammates say the defenseman went through a change this season that saw him exhibit a new focus on faith. Rafalski spoke repeatedly of this faith at his news conference. He closed with a reading from the Bible, from Romans 8:28, the latter number appropriately enough reflecting the number he wore throughout his NHL career. "And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

A few people around him, Rafalski said, expressed sadness that he's done with hockey. That's not the reaction he wants anyone to have.

"We, as a family, are not looking at it like that," he said. "We're looking at it as a great opportunity. I just want to share a little story about my wife's grandmother, who passed away last summer. She knew she was going to pass away shortly. She told the family, 'I don't want a funeral, I don't want any mourning. I want you guys to celebrate, have a party,' and we definitely obliged. That was the way she wanted to go out, and that's the way we would like to go out."

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